


Fix Up

by Gildedmuse



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Canon Rewrite, Canonical Character Death, First Kiss, Like Just A New Hope But With Slash, M/M, Schoolboy Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 18:59:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18666409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gildedmuse/pseuds/Gildedmuse
Summary: While catching a ride to Alderaan with Han Solo, Luke begins to think about the captain. Maybe a little too much.





	1. Cute But Crazy

**Author's Note:**

> [Posted to LJ in 2005]

“Clear your mind of all distractions. You have to be able to feel-“  
  
Bump!  
  
Luke scowled, refusing to open his eyes as he was jolted from his meditations. The young boy was determined to follow Ben’s instructions, but no matter how he tried Luke couldn’t get himself to relax. He was so intent on opening his senses it seemed he could hear every curse and footstep the smuggler made as he worked around the ship, and the more he tried to focus on Ben’s words the more aware he became of each jerk that shook the Millennium Falcon.  
  
Luke heard his teacher take in a deep breath. The student mimicked him, letting the tension leak away from his body as he released the air from his lungs. As the hostility was replaced with a sense of serenity he began concentrating on the lesson the old Jedi had taught him earlier.  
  
Very cautiously he reached out with the force. As usual he failed to feel anything other than the emptiness around him.  
  
Concentrate, Luke reminded himself. Let the force guide you.  
  
A sense of calm washed over him, but it wasn’t his own. Behind closed eyelids he could see a soft blue light radiating outwards into the force.  
  
Ben. Without sight or explanation he knew it was the old man feeding him those emotions. Luke accepted the peaceful, soothing thoughts from his teacher, let himself become –  
  
Bump!  
  
Luke’s eyes flew open as he was thrown backwards, his body slamming into the wall with another great lurch of the ship.  
  
“Are you all right?” Ben asked, standing to walk over to Luke. The boy could feel his cheeks turn pink. Ben had hardly been shaken from his meditations at all and Luke couldn’t even manage to hold onto his for mere minutes. He was never going to get the hang of this, even if the Falcon did stop falling apart.  
  
“I’m fine,” Luke muttered, distracting himself by running his fingers through his sandy hair to check for blood. All he came up with was a rather sore bump on the back of his head. “This would be easier if we’d taken a decent ship. Maybe one that wasn’t held together with old NI parts and krayt dragon dung.”  
  
“I heard that.”  
  
Han walked through the hatch looking worse than Luke did after a full day on the farm during harvest seasons. Whatever the smuggler had been up to it had left him covered in enough grim and sweat for it to become nearly impossible to tell the original color of his shirt - and still the old freighter was falling apart.  
  
“I’ll have you know this ship is one of the finest in the galaxy,” Solo snapped. “It’s just a few minor problems caused by all that damn sand and heat. Not good for the mechanics.” The pirate pointed a sharp looking tool in his passenger’s direction, ready to defend his words with actions, a rather unconscious response to people insulting his ship. Luke straightened himself out and puffed out his chest, making sure Solo understood he wasn’t afraid of him. Rationally, Solo had height, experience, and a blaster on his side but Luke wasn’t going to back down just because of his obvious disadvantage.  
  
“We could have gotten further on my speeder,” Luke retorted, earning himself a dangerous glare from the Captain.  
  
“Yeah, well, a trip back to that sand trap you call home can still be arranged, kid.”  
  
Before Luke could reply a firm hand landed on his shoulder. Ben was watching him, his brow wrinkled by a deep frown. Feeling rather uncomfortable under the old man’s somber gaze, Luke began to fidget like a child waiting for their parents reprimanding. The old Jedi didn’t scold him, though. Instead he seemed to dismiss his dark thoughts with a soft pat on the young man’s shoulder. “Perhaps that is enough for tonight,” Ben suggested, walking away from Luke and towards his sleeping cabin.  
  


Luke’s eyes widened, afraid Ben had given up on Luke ever mastering the skill. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice pointed out that his father would never have given up on meditating simply because of a rocky freighter. “But we can’t stop,” Luke whined. “I need-”  
  
Bump!  
  
Luke’s words got turned into a loud yelp as the ship shook under him again. He nearly fell against the wall again, catching himself on the table as the ship trembled violently for a few seconds before returning to its normal state of wobbling uncertainly.  
  
Luke cautiously let go of the table to try standing on his own again. Even Han, who was now yelling into the com link, looked shaken. “Chewie? What the hell was that?” A few barking sounds returned his call. Han rolled his eyes, running his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture and leaving the sweaty locks sticking up at odd angles. “Great,” Han muttered to himself. “Another one.”  
  
Luke opened his mouth to demand to know what was going on when Ben cut him off. “We shall take a rest. I’m not quite the youngling I use to be.” The old man looked at Luke and Han; the latter was grabbing something from a nearby hatch and otherwise ignoring his passengers. “Perhaps you can help Captain Solo with some of the repairs. From what I hear you are very handy with engines.”  
  
Luke’s face lit up, glad to be praised by the old Jedi. He was so distracted by this that he didn’t even argue for more training when Ben left for his room.  
  
 “I don’t want Junior anywhere near my engine,” Solo scowled, grabbing a few tools from the hatch he’d opened. He kicked it shut before heading back towards the door, sending Luke a glare from over his shoulders. “Hell, if it were up to me you wouldn’t be anywhere near my ship. Causing problems before we even get off the damn planet…” The captain muttered the last part to himself as the door closed behind him.  
  
Luke narrowed his eyes, sticking out his lower lip in a pout before going after the captain. “But I can help,” he insisted as he followed Solo through the corridors towards the bridge. “I’m really good with mechanics. Uncle Owen used to let me fix the vaporators and droids all the time!”  
  
Han sneered, making a few quick turns through the inner maze of the ship, which failed to deter Luke from following him. “Hey, listen, kid, this isn’t some farm equipment. This is a top-notch ship-“ Solo chose to ignore Luke’s snort of disbelief. “And I don’t want some small town boy messing around with it, got me?”  
  
Luke glared at the older man, kicking at the ground to show that while he didn’t like Solo and wasn’t happy, he was going to listen.  Han sighed and started back towards the hyperspace chamber, leaving Luke alone to pout.  
  
He couldn’t meditate. He wasn’t allowed to help fix the ship. Why did they even bother to bring him along if no one was going to let him do anything? The boy plopped down on the floor, leaning back against the wall. If only he could have just stayed at home. Sure, he’d wanted to get off Tatooine – who didn’t? – but this hadn’t been how he’d wanted to leave. Orphaned, alone, and helpless to do anything about either. Luke kicked at the floor again. This time a panel nearly came up when the tip of his boot caught the crack. He rolled his eyes, adding to his list of problems the fact that the ship he was on was probably older than him and not aging gracefully.  
  
Bump!  
  
Luke was jolted out of his thoughts by another one of the ship’s fits. Well, that and some colorful language from Solo. The boy jumped to his feet as smoke began pouring from the small compartment the captain had disappeared down.  
  
“Han?” Luke ran into the room, calling out blindly as the smoke caused his eyes to tear up. He pulled his tunic around his mouth, grabbing onto the wall as he wandered further into the compartment. The flimsy material of his shirt did little to stop the feeling of fire in his chest every time he took in a deep breath and he still couldn’t see more than a few inches in front of him. “Han? Are you okay?”  
  
Images started flooding his mind. Images of another fire, of his aunt and uncle clawing their way out of the farm, the skeletons of his family sprawled out over the farm, the smell of burnt flesh. Everything he had left behind. What he was trying to forget. Luke felt the hotness of his tears streaming down his cheeks as the black smoke burned his eyes. He was ready to scream again when he heard a fit of coughing. Luke brightened up, sprinting towards the noise.  
  
“What- Umph!” Han looked slightly disgruntled when Luke collided with the smuggler. It was all the boy could do to not bury his face in the older man’s shirt and cry.  
  
“You’re okay!” Luke exclaimed. The smoke was starting to clear, and other than being covered in soot and having singed clothes, Han didn’t look hurt, only slightly surprised to have Luke in front of him. The boy’s hands gripping Han’s shoulders tight enough to leave bright red marks beneath the fabric. Luke could feel his heart beat start to return to normal at the sight of Han alive and unharmed, the early fear fading back into memory.  
  
“I’m fine, kid,” Han assured Luke, shrugging the boy away. Luke let go, however reluctantly, of the other man standing awkwardly to the side as Han went back to work.  
  
“What was that?” Luke asked, hovering over the other man’s shoulder to get a good look. Han glared back at him, grabbing a few tools and straightening out the wires.  
  
“Nothing,” Solo replied and went back to work and ignoring Luke. The young boy stayed for a while, waiting for some acknowledgement of his presence. After all, he had run into a room that, for all he knew, could have been on fire to save Solo’s life. Surely the pirate wasn’t going to brush that off?  
  
Apparently he was. Han didn’t say anything to the kid, only uttering a few curses directed at his ship. Luke let out a long sigh, wondering why he’d even cared whether the pirate had been hurt. It wasn’t like Solo would have done the same if their positions were reversed.  
  
“Kid?”  
  
Luke head shot up. “What?”  
  
“You really want to help?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Go get me a glass of water.”  
  
Luke’s face fell, disappointment clear for a few seconds before resentment took its place. “What?”  
  
Han didn’t even turn to look at him. “Water? You know the stuff, right? They have to have it somewhere on that burning planet of yours. Look, it’s hotter than all the hells in here, do you think you could hurry?”  
  
Shooting Solo a dirty look before he left, Luke stormed out of the room. He almost slammed the door behind him, but then remembered the plate coming off the floor and decided against it. The ship was deteriorating fast enough without him helping it along.  
  
Luke kept up the act all the way to the kitchen, where he grabbed a glass and shoved it under the pipes, filling it up with water. What did Solo think he was, a kid? Well, obviously from the name calling and the demands to do tasks a droid could have done with only one working circuit.  It was unfair. Luke wasn’t a child. He could have gone to the academy if Uncle Owen hadn’t needed the help. He was going to become a Jedi and save a princess! Did that sound like something a youngling could pull off?!  
  
Luke kept going over the reasons he hated Han on the march back to the hyperspace compartment. He thrust the drink into Solo’s hands, most of the water sloshing over the sides. Solo took the drink without so much as a thank you. Luke fixed his glare on the captain before taking a few steps back and sitting down on the floor again.  
  
What right does he have to call me a kid, anyway? Luke wondered as he watched the man work. Okay, so he had some years on Luke. It couldn’t have been much, Luke reasoned. Not enough to talk down to him. And, okay, he looked like he knew what he was doing but that was probably only because he’d had to do this before. Who knows how many times this heap of trash had broken down on him? Why would anyone keep such an old thing, anyway? He should throw in a shag if he honestly expected someone to pay him 10,000 credits for a simple ride.  
  
Luke bite his lip and did away with that thought.  
  
For all Luke’s awareness of Han, the pirate didn’t seem concerned with his presence in the slightest. “Damn wiring,” Han muttered. Luke watched as the older man tugged off his shirt, throwing the ratty piece of clothing to the floor without a glance at the boy. He probably wasn’t use to having other people around, Luke thought. After all, he and the wookiee probably spent most of their time in between planets, smuggling goods across the galaxy. It would explain why he was so bad with people. Luke bit his lip, wondering if he could have put up with all the lonely nights. Even on Tatooine, once his friends had all left for the academy, he’d still had his aunt and uncle to keep him company.  
  
Only Han didn’t look like he was the type to be lonely. Even covered in filth he managed to be somewhat good-looking, and Luke was betting he had no problems seducing girls to his bedside for a night or two. Under different circumstances, Luke could even see himself being attracted to the older man. Sure, they had had a rough start but if they had meant at the Cantina without any of those –  
  
Wait? What the force am I thinking?  
  
Luke shook his head, sandy locks slapping against his face and giving him a bit of a wake up call. Yes, Solo was handsome but he was still a pirate.  
  
Something sparked and Han jerked back, sticking his finger in his mouth and using few phrases Luke had never even heard before.  
  
A rather ill tempered pirate, Luke added. The pirate was way too confident, considering the state of his freighter, and flashing that annoying smile. Actually, it wasn’t even a smile so much as a smirk. Luke wondered if that worked on girls, smirking like that. He tried to remember what he had thought about it the first time Solo had used that self-assured grin back at Mos Eisley. All he could summon was a feeling of excitement sitting next to Ben as they planned their escape. The young boy frowned in concentration, his eyes falling closed as he tried to force the image of Han into his head: Han at the Cantina, being rude and arrogant towards them as they made arrangements; Han giving him that look when he insulted the Millennium Falcon. Was he over protective about everything like that, or was it just his ship? Were the people he slept with given that much attention? Luke’s frown deepened. He wasn’t thinking about that right now.  
  
That smirk. Forgetting everything else, what had he thought about it? Clearing away his annoyance with the captain’s arrogance, forgetting the anticipation that had been coursing through him, leaving only the image of Han’s lips turned up at the side, eyes glowing as he talked about his ship. Luke could clearly imagine him fixing that on someone, using it to his advantage. It was easy to see what someone could see in a guy like Han if-  
  
Bump!  
  
“This probably isn’t the place, kid.”  
  
Luke’s eyes flew open. Han was looking down at him, eyes fixed on Luke’s face, where Luke could feel all the blood in his body gathering to color his cheeks a dark crimson.  
  
“What?” Luke’s voice was a little higher than it usually was. If it had been possible, his face would have turned yet another shade a red.  
  
“That meditating junk,” Han explained. “Look, if you really want to help you might as well. You’re just taking up room and-“  
  
“No!” Luke scrambled to his feet, taking a few giant steps towards the door. “That’s okay. I think… think I’ll go meditate some more.”  
  
Without looking at Solo’s face for fear of seeing that stupid, knowing smirk, Luke made a straight path towards the kitchen, falling into one of the hard benches with a resounding thud just as the ship gave another shake. The boy sighed, covering his face in his hands as he tried not to think about Han.  
  
It’s perfectly normal to be attracted to him, he told himself. He felt that he could will that to be true if he just thought on it enough. In everything that had happened to him in the last few days it was no wonder his emotions were acting strangely. It was the stress, grief, and excitement that were making the pilot seem so attractive to him. It was hormones, the thrill of leaving Tatooine, the novelty of meeting a man as well traveled as Solo. It was a thousand things playing around with him, none of which were anything close to actually liking the guy. He had enough sense not to get attached to someone like Han. These lustful thoughts, they were just a result of his lack of sleep. A few days rest before Alderaan and he wouldn’t even give the pirate a second glance.  
  
The boy took a deep breath, his heart rate returning to normal. Alderaan. After that he would never see Han again. He was worrying over nothing. Even if he was lusting after Han, what was the big deal? As long as it didn’t lead to anything there was no danger in it, and it certainly wouldn’t lead to anything. Luke snorted, trying to picture himself cuddling up next to the pilot, wrapped in Han’s arms like some silly romance holonovel. It was hard to picture Solo doing anything so gentle if he didn’t have ulterior motives of some sort. He probably got want he wanted out of a night and left the next morning without so much as a goodbye. Luke could easily picture that scene in his head and Han had so far done nothing to prove it incorrect. What kind of person, knowing this, would ever be attracted to someone like Han Solo?  
  
Luke had managed to talk himself out of doing anything rash by the time door hissed open.  
  
Han walked past the table and towards the hatch, rummaging through it for more supplies. Luke sighed and continued to sit perfectly still with his head in his hands, not bothering to say anything as the captain continued to ignore him. Maybe if Han had shown some sign of a civilized manner instead of treating Luke like a fifty-year-old Hutt who just crawled out of his mother’s pouch he wouldn’t be so bothered by the other man. Luke had only been trying to help and now Han was ignoring him.  
  
There was a loud crash. Luke looked up, catching Han kicking a few instruments back into the hatch. He looked over to Luke and gave – was that a smile? He almost looked sheepish at the mess he’d managed to make. Luke shook his head and went back to ignoring Han in return. The older man sighed and brushed his hair back as he picked up the tools he had come for. Reluctantly he walked over to the table, waiting for Luke to drop his hands into his lap and look up at him.  
  
“Listen, kid,” he started, sounding for the entire galaxy like he was doing it against his will. “Sorry if I upset you.”  
  
Luke couldn’t do anything but blink, watching as Solo waited for him to say something. After it became clear that Luke wasn’t going to speak up Han continued, “Sometimes I just get a lit… possessive about her, okay? I know she’s old, but she’s a fine ship.” That proud glint was back in the captain’s eyes. He leaned up against the bench opposite Luke, watching the younger boy for any sign of a reaction. “So I’ll back off you and that crazy religion thing you’re trying to do-”  
  
“Jedi,” Luke said, his expression of surprise slowly melting away and turning to one of suspicion. He had the sinking feeling that Han was apologizing for being mean, but wasn’t willing to believe his own ears just yet.  
  
“Yeah, whatever.” Han shrugged. “And you stop with the snide remarks about my girl. Deal?” Luke continued to stare wide-eyed up at the pirate. After a few seconds Han shifted his weight to the other side.  “Look, I’m sorry,” he said, although he didn’t sound remorseful so much as annoyed. “If you would just give me and the ship a chance-“  
  
“A chance!” Luke snapped, jumping to his feet before he could think his actions through and hitting his knees on the table. It didn’t deter him from moving to the edge of the seat and standing up, fist clenched tightly together as he seethed. “You overcharged us for a ride on a ship that could hardly make it out of the atmosphere much less to Alderaan, spend the entire ride insulting me and my droids and Ben, call me a kid and then act like you can just apologize and make it all better!”  
  
Han’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Now listen kid-“  
  
“You want me to give you a chance? This ship has done nothing but fall apart - done nothing to prove that it was in anyway better than some low down, scum of the galaxy, that I would never, EVER in a million years trust with anything! Probably goes around the planets leaving some poor, heartbroken… Arg!”  
  
Han fixed a confused stare at Luke, waiting until the boy ran out of steam or breath and had to break off his rant. “What are you talking about?”  
  
It took all of Luke’s control not to scream. “You’re impossible!” He spat, spinning on his heels and storming out on Han for the second time in less than an hour. If it weren’t for the automatic door he definitely would have slammed it on his way out. As it was he simply stomped off to his room in as much of a huff as possible.  
  
Who did he think he was, apologizing like that? Probably just to prove me wrong, too. Luke thought, collapsing onto the small, uncomfortable cot. So what if Luke thought he was attractive, that was no reason for Solo to go around apologizing! Sure, it had been charming when Han had almost seemed nervous about the thing, and the way he was so protective of his ship was almost endearing but that didn’t give him a right to rub it in Luke’s face.  
  
The young boy pushed his pillow a few times before settling back in the bed. They’d get to Alderaan soon, and then he and Ben would be busy helping the rebellion. He wouldn’t have a second to waste on thoughts of some rogue pirate and all this would fade away to one bad day in his memory, locked up with all the other events that had taken over his life.  
  
Luke rolled over, set on ignoring the unpleasant feeling that that left in his chest.

* * *

Up on the bridge, Han Solo collapsed in his seat. He was exhausted, having finally managed to patch up the ship the best he could until they arrived at port.  He sighed, rolling his shoulders to try and lessen some of the pain creeping into his neck.  
  
Chewbacca gave his friend a curious look. *You look upset,* the wookiee growled as Han sat back up, massaging some of his joints.  
  
“Really?” The pilot snapped. “Think it has anything to do with the ship falling apart?”  
  
*We should have done repairs in Tatooine,* Chewie replied, earning himself a glare.  
  
“Don’t start that again,” Han snapped. “I think we picked up enough problems in Tatooine. Snobby droids, delusional old men, and…” the captain trailed off.  
  
*And the young one? You haven’t done anything to upset him, have you, Han?*  
  
“What?” Han barked. “Hey, just because someone on this ship is upset does not make it my fault.”  
  
*But he is upset?* Han narrowed his eyes at the wookiee’s smirk.  
  
“Beats me,” Han replied with a shrug. “This kid’s crazy.” Han closed his eyes, thinking back to the scene Luke had made in the kitchen. He had replayed the scene in his mind at least a dozen times and still couldn’t figure out why Luke had blown up at him when all Han had been trying to do was apologize to the kid. The Corellian shook his head. Better not to think about it. He’d be dropping the kid off at Alderaan soon. No need to get attached. “Cute, but crazy.”

 


	2. Utterly Mad

If there was one thing that Han had learned in all his years in space it was that attachments don't pay off. Make that two things. One, never leave the ship without a blaster and a good, strong drink; and two, attachments don't pay off. Not for guys like him. Maybe somewhere out there some guy was happier at home with a family or better off with someone always by his side, but not Han. Han wasn't a hero, a romantic, or an all-round good guy. He was a smuggler, one of the finest in the Galaxy, and he didn't have any use for something that didn't pay.  
  
  
Well, that settled that.  
  
  
Still, he could feel himself growing attached to the kid and that was deeply unsettling. It wasn't anything to worry about. Nothing serious. He wasn't about to claim he couldn't live without Luke by his side, because being that wrapped up in someone was just crazy and not Han's style at all. However, he could feel himself getting used to the kid's presence. Sure, he was annoying, moody and tended to over react to everything Han said, but maybe Han said half the things he did just so Luke would pout and argue with him. The kid was definitely determined, no matter how meek he might look at times, and that was something Han had to respect that, even if he didn't agree with a word the old man was telling Luke.  
  
  
Why was he still thinking about this? Han sat down in his captain seat, readying the ship to leave hyperspace. In just a few moments they would pull into an Alderaan spaceport and then - poof - no more Luke. The thought left him feeling vaguely uneasy and that was what had led Han to remind himself about the reason for his lack of attachments in the first place.  
  
  
Not counting the Falcon or his co-pilot, of course.  
  
  
Two was enough. No need to complicate matters any further. So what if the kid was - it almost pained Han to think this - endearing. What did being endearing ever do for anyone? Han had never let himself find out and he figured now wasn't a good time to start. Not when he was about to abandon the kid and some older than dirt, crazy, old man and never look back.  
  
  
That's the plan then, Solo.  
  
  
"Stand by, Chewie, here we go. Cut in the sublight engines." Han steadied the ship. He and the Millennium Falcon were so in tune with each other, at least when his baby wasn't shot up by imperial cruisers, that he could have pulled this move in his sleep. It was a good thing, too, because his mind wasn't exactly on flying as he emerged into Alderaan's air space. It was still back in the lounge with his passengers - passengers he should have left stranded on Tattooine, even if they had offered a princess's reward for the flight. His ship had been shot up pretty badly though and after paying off Jabba, there was hardly going to be a penny left.  
  
  
That's it, Solo. Concentrate on the money. Not Blue Eyes back there. No time to get attached.  
  
  
No time at all. Alderaan was approaching, and pretty soon the kid would be a distant memory and Han would have a load of credits.  
  
  
"What the...?" Han tightened his grip on the controls as the Falcon gave a violent jolt, making the earlier shaking seem like mere trembles. However, this time Han didn't have to search out the problem. "Aw, we've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. Some kind of asteroid collision. It's not on any of the charts."  
  
  
Chewbacca growled something about the shields that Han missed as another quake passed through the ship. Wasn't this just his luck? First, what seemed like the entire piloting control system gave out under imperial fire and now the equipment that had managed to remain unscathed was being damaged by asteroids. Han trusted his ship to the last, but not even he was cocky enough to believe the Falcon could stand much more of this without giving out completely.  
  
  
He should add control for clarity.

 

Seconds later, Luke entered the bridge, grabbing onto the back of Han's seat to keep himself steady as the meteors continued to pound into the ship. "What's going on?" he demanded.  
  
  
Han would have rolled his eyes if he weren't so busy trying to keep his ship intact. What's going on? What does it look like, kid? Even some nobody teenager trapped on a desert planet for his whole life should have been able to recognize an asteroid field. "Our position is correct, except...no, Alderaan," Han said, scanning the equipment for some sign that it was faulty. No matter how bad it got Han had never taken a wrong turn, not unless it was on purpose. The Falcon took a few more hits before Han could steady its course. He glanced at the charts again actually hoping he'd misread them. The coordinates were right, but they had landed the ship in the middle of a meteor shower with no Alderaan in sight.  
  
  
"What do you mean?" Luke asked. "Where is it?"  
  
  
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, kid. It ain't there. It's been totally blown away." Everything checked out perfectly except that where a planet should have been, there was nothing but debris.  
  
  
"What? How?"  
  
  
"Destroyed," Ben said, walking into the cockpit looking unshaken as usual. Han half growled. He was trying to keep his ship together and figure out what was going on out in space and they were using the cockpit as a meet up center. Great. Why not invite the droids in as well? It could be a farewell party for the Falcon. "By the Empire!"  
  
  
Han scuffed. "The entire starfleet couldn't destroy the whole planet," he said, ignoring what he had said earlier about the planet being blown up and the obvious evidence that Alderaan was, in fact, missing. "It'd take a thousand ships with more fire power than I've-" Han cut off as something entered the Falcon's radar screens. It was small, but it was definitely moving and not with the erratic jumps of a meteor. "There's another ship coming in."  
  
  
"Maybe they know what happened."  
  
  
It didn't sound likely to Han that anyone who knew how Alderaan had become a bunch of flying rocks in space would stick around to tell anyone about it. The old man was apparently thinking along the same lines. "It's an Imperial fighter."  
  
  
*If he's right, we're in even more trouble,* Chewie growled.  
  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Han muttered, about to add that the old man was clearly delusional and paranoid about the whole empire thing if he thought they could make an entire planet disappear, but at that moment a TIE fighter exploded onto screen.  
  
  
"It followed us!" Luke cried, getting caught up in the old man's paranoia. Han bristled at the accusation. Nothing followed his ship. Especially not some short range TIE fighter. It couldn't have tailed the Millennium Falcon that far without a companion of some sort.  
  
  
"No. It's a short range fighter." One of the first sensible things the old man had said yet.  
  
  
"There aren't any bases around here," Han pointed out. "Where did it come from?"  
  
  
"It sure is leaving in a big hurry," Luke said as the TIE blasted past them, not even taking a hit at the ship (which Han was more than thankful for - his poor baby had been through enough that day). "If they identify us, we're in big trouble."  
  
  
"Not if I can help it." All right, maybe his pride was still a little hurt from being accused at dropping his cargo at the first sign of imperial ships - like it was his fault he was boarded - but he wasn't about to let some TIE turn him in. "Chewie, jam its transmissions."  
  
  
"It'd be as well to let it go. It's too far out of range."  
  
  
"Not for long..." Han turned the power up on the engines, fighting his way through the last of the asteroid field until he had a clear view of the smaller ship.  
  
  
The TIE had size as its advantage, and it was definitely traveling faster than the Falcon, but Han didn't have to catch up with the ship, only get in range. That he could do easily. It was time to see if those thousands of credits worth of upgrades hadn't been wasted.  
  
  
"Look at him," Luke cried, braking Han's concentration just as he was seconds from pulling in range. "He's headed for that small moon." Han actually looked up from his station. Alderaan didn't have any moons, and they couldn't possibly be close enough to Teilis to be coming up on one of theirs.  
  
  
"That's no moon!" the old man claimed. "It's a space station."  
  
  
"It's too big to be a space station." Han watched the giant orb as they drew closer. It was big enough to be a small moon at the least, and it was shaped to look like one as well. But the closer they got, the more Han could make out turrets too straight to be natural, and the craters weren't craters at all but long, deep crevices built into its surface. It was like someone had taken a moon and covered the entire structure in metal and battle stations.  
  
  
"I have a very bad feeling about this," Luke said, breaking the almost hypnotic silence that had fallen over the cockpit as the massive space station came into view.  
  
  
"Yeah, I think your right," Han muttered, tearing his eyes away from the station and getting ready to get himself and his ship as far away from it as possible. "Full reverse! Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power."  
  
  
Solo set the ship to reverse as Chewbacca started up the support engines. The Millennium Falcon lurched as all its energy went towards escaping, but other than the violent sway, there was little sign that it had done anything at all.  
  
  
"Why are we still moving towards it?"  
  
  
"We're caught in a tractor beam! It's pulling us in!" This is what he got for transporting passengers. Avoid imperial entanglements. What could have possessed Han to say yes after that? Money was going to be all but useless if he got his ship quarantined. He didn't even want to think about what would happen to him. If these two were worth as much energy as the empire seemed to be putting into capturing them he was in serious trouble.  
  
  
"But there's gotta be something you can do!" Luke whined.  
  
  
"There's nothin' I can do about it, kid. I'm in full power," The ship was trying to fight the station's tractor beam but all it was doing was hurting the equipment. "I'm going to have to shut down. But they're not going to get me without a fight!"  
  
  
Han turned around, ready to meet the imperial guards at the doors. Hells if he was going to just sit back and let himself get captured. They might have caught his ship, but he was going to get a shot at a few of those boys before he let them lay a hand on it.  
  
  
Han was halfway out of his seat when a warm touch settled onto his shoulder accompanied by a feeling of tranquility. Han shook his head to help clear it away, and soon enough the sentiment had vanished back to wherever it had come from.   
  
  
"You can't win," Ben said, his hand still resting on Han's shoulder, which was inexplicably making the Corellian feel uncomfortable. His instincts were telling him that if he dropped his guard the crazy old guy would pull something - which was crazy considering Han had all the advantages physically. "But there are alternatives to fighting."  
  
  
"Like what?" Han growled, shrugging his shoulder out of Ben's grasp. He shot the old man a suspicious look as he wrapped his fingers tightly around the blaster hanging at his hips, his eyes daring Ben to try and tell him what to do. Ben held his gaze, looking utterly unshaken by Han's threat, which only served to annoy Han further. This was Han's ship and the only person allowed to give orders was him, dammit.  
  
  
Between them, Luke's eyes went wide. "They're pulling us in!" The kid exclaimed, leaning over Han to point out of the observation window and nearly knocking the pilot back into his seat as he did so. Han cursed, breaking eye contact with the old man to catch himself on the back of his seat.  
  
  
"Tell us something we don't know, kid," Solo spat, but he could see what Luke meant. The port doors were opening and if they didn't do something soon they weren't going to stand a chance. Han looked back at Ben, who was watching all this with that same calm expression he had been wearing since they first meant up at the Cantina - and wasn't it just as annoying as ever?  
  
  
"Do you have somewhere we can hide?" Ben asked. "They're likely to search the ship. They probably already know that this is the same ship that left Mos Eilsey." Han rolled his eyes, giving an over dramatic sigh as he lolled his head back. All this trouble for twenty thousand credits he was probably never going to get a chance to see?  
  
  
"We're almost there," Luke warned, leaning even further over Han, almost close enough to press his face up against the glass. Han followed the kid's eyes to a group of Storm Troopers standing guard at the port. He did a double take, swallowing past a small lump in his throat. Whatever these two had done, they had managed to seriously piss off the empire.   
  
  
Maybe, just maybe, it would be best to listen to the old guy, just this once, because Han really wanted to get out of this mess with his life, if not his ship. "Yeah, I've got-"  
  
  
At that moment the ride got a little rougher. The Falcon entered the station, jerking as the tractor beam pulled it to the ground. Han tightened his hold on the back of the chair, keeping himself from falling into the seat It might have worked had Luke not given a small yelp and nearly tumbled onto the control panel. Without thinking, Han reached out to grab hold of the kid. The next jolt sent him back into his seat with a painful thud and a lap full of Luke.  
  
  
Han growled again, reaching behind him to rub his back which had met the armrest. This brought him into closer contact with Luke - who was struggling to get himself upright again having fallen sideways across Han. Luke was now hovering over Han's lap and had managed to angle himself to see through the cockpit window and out onto the troops below.  
  
  
Wasn't it just Han's luck? Here he was in the hands of the imperial army, transporting a bunch of wanted rebels, having escaped from capture just hours before, with a warrant on his own head and now his body decided what he really wanted, more than money, freedom, and a really stiff drink, was Luke to stay exactly where he was.  
  
  
"What was that?" Luke asked. Thanks to the Goddess, the kid had other things on his mind (like the fact that we're about to be arrested?) and hadn't noticed anything. You old pervert. Keep your mind on the job.  
  
  
"Come on," Han said, grunting as he half lifted Luke off him. Chewie gave a displeased growl as the kid almost landed on his lap but Han shot him a look. Now was definitely not the time to be complaining. "They're gonna be boarding any second now."  
  
  
Ben nodded and stepped aside, allowing Han to hurry out to the corridors with Luke at his heels. Honestly, didn't the kid ever get tired of being so damn enthusiastic?  
  
  
"Where are we going?" Luke asked, nearly colliding with Han, who suddenly stopped to keep himself from crashing into R2. The astrodroid gave a few whistles which Han was pretty sure meant absolutely nothing.  
  
  
"What my counterpart means..." Han rolled his eyes as the gold droid appeared from around the corner. Without listening to another word he shoved past it, heading towards the entryway, leaving the others to follow him and hopefully stop their yapping. The subtle hints apparently went right over the robot's head. "...Is that he believes we maybe in some amount of trouble. It seems your ship-"  
  
  
"Nah, really?" Han snapped. He kicked at one of the floor tiles, breaking it away from the rest with the tip of his boot. "Thanks for stating the obvious, metal head. Now get in there." Han drew a little pleasure from pushing the slightly confused and still chattering C-3PO into the hold. Turning around, he looked at the shorter droid. "You, too," he said, motioning to the open floorboard. The thing gave a few more of those overly annoying beeps and whistles.  
  
  
"Be careful with that one," Ben said, appearing from behind the corner along with Chewie. "He's very important."  
  
  
If Han were slightly less sane, he would have sworn the next whistle from the small 'bot actually meant he was proud of himself. Han shook his head. His mom had been right. All this time in space was going to drive him mad. "Hey, Chewie, help me out here, would ya pal?"  
  
  
Together Han and Chewbacca managed to lower the little droid into the hidden storage space. Han said a quick prayer, hoping that they had dropped the whistling one on top of the talking one, because as annoying as the astrodroid was, it was nothing compared to the protocol droid, who seemed to take great pleasure in talking as much as possible.  
  
  
"Stay quiet down there!" Han called down as Ben dropped himself into the hatch. He moved the floor plate back into place as Chewie opened another up. The wookiee looked down into the dark hold and growled.  
  
  
*I hate tight places,* Chewbacca complained.  
  
  
Han rolled his eyes. "Better than the jail cell they have set aside for us, buddy." Chewie agreed, hopping into the hold. "And just remember, you're the one who thought it be such an ingenious idea to play passenger line," Han added once his friend had disappeared into the deep compartment.  
  
  
Han looked up and found Luke staring at the doorway. "They're coming up," he said as the hatch began to open. Han reached across, grabbed Luke's arm and pulled the kid back towards him.  
  
  
"Well then, hurry up," Han suggested, shoving Luke down with Chewbacca. He took another glance at the entry, which was now partially open. He could hear the troopers getting ready to board his ship and do who knows what to it, trying to find Luke and the rest of them.  
  
  
Force, Goddess, or whatever the hell there may be up there, don't let them hurt my baby, Han thought before jumping into the hold and closing the lid tight over their heads.  
  
  
It was dark. Han blinked a couple of times trying to let his eyes adjust from the bright corridors of the Millennium Falcon to the sudden lack of light. There wasn't so much as an emergency bulb down in the hold, however, and all the blinking in the world wasn't going to do anything. Han shifted uncomfortable, reaching out a steady hand to try and find a wall of some type. This was not the kind of situation a guy like him liked to be in. He hadn't lied to Ben when he told the old man he depend one hundred percent on himself and his skill. Some good that was to him when he couldn't see anything.  
  
  
Solo's fingers brushed against a clump of rough fur, followed by a low mewl. "Shh," Han whispered. Chewie didn't answer.  
  
  
He moved backwards a few steps before knocking into something warm. "He-" Luke protested, and Han nearly threw his hand over the kid's mouth. As it was, he couldn't see the kid, so he ended up catching him in the throat instead. Still, Luke cut himself off. Even in the dark, Han could tell everything had gone completely still. Above them was the sound of heavy boots. Han held his breath, and beneath his fingers he could feel Luke's pulse speed up. The Storm Troopers were right above them, one of them ordering the others into pairs to check the entire ship.  
  
  
As the noise faded away Han let his shoulders slump and the air raced from his lungs. Next to him he could hear Luke do much the same. "Are they gone?" Luke whispered, voice quiet enough that Solo had to strain to hear it.  
  
  
"A few more minutes," Han replied. "We'll wait until they come back. No sense in hiding if we're just going to pop up the second they're done searching my ship."  
  
  
There was a few more seconds silence before Luke spoke up again. "Han?"  
  
  
Honestly, he was almost as bad as that gold mouth they'd brought with them. Was there no such thing as hiding back on Tatooine? "What?" Han snapped, maybe a bit too fiercely considering the circumstance. He could feel Luke jump ever so slightly and instantly felt a twinge of guilt for being so hard on the kid. "What?" He repeated, softer this time. No need to frighten the boy more than he already was.  
  
  
"Do you think you could..." Luke trailed off, moving around a bit like was nervous. Han really wished he could see the kid's face right then to figure out what was going on. As it was, he just stayed completely still and waited for Luke to finish his thought. "Do you think you could let go of my neck?"  
  
  
"What?" Han asked, frowning in confusion - not that the kid could see any better than he could in the pitch-black compartment. "Oh," Solo was glad it was dark and the kid couldn't tell he was slightly embarrassed. Right, his hand was still resting against Luke's neck, well almost on his chest now. It's not like he had forgotten, but the touch was the one thing keeping him aware of Luke and it had been all too easy to exchange his sight for the sense of touch.  
  
  
Solo didn't apologize, but started to move his hand away from Luke's neck before pausing. Here they were in total darkness waiting for those damn troopers to finish searching his ship - and who knew how long that was going to take - with nothing better to do than keep completely quiet. Luke couldn't see Han, had probably figured out by now than Han couldn't see him either. Solo had already managed to grab the kid's throat, proving that his aim in the dark wasn't all that great. It wasn't like Han was going to get either of them hurt. If the worst came to worst, Luke would get angry and insulted again. What was a little fun at the kid's expense?  
  
  
Well, Han reminded himself of all the other times in the last few hours he managed to get under the kid's skin. What was some more fun at the kid's expense?  
  
  
Solo moved his hand, but not exactly away from Luke. He loosened his grip on the kid's neck, letting his hand fall away from the exposed skin and brush against the rough material of Luke's tunic. His palm traced a slow path down Luke's chest, pausing for a second over his heart. Han could tell it was his heart because even without pressing hard against the boy's body he could feel the erratic beating. He left himself give a cocky half grin, knowing full and well Luke couldn't see his expression. He wasn't even to the best part yet and the kid was already fired up.  
  
  
Han let his hand ghost down further, taking a straight path that could almost be excused as him just dropping his hand and not thinking about it, only his touch was just a little too firm and much too slow. Han added a little more pressure as his palm came to rest on Luke's thigh. He could feel the kid's muscles tighten as he drew in a small, chocked breath.  
  
  
There was a thundering sound of boots overhead.  
  
  
Solo dropped his hand away from Luke's warm body. Through the darkness and over the sound of a Storm Trooper's communicators he could hear Luke's heavy breathing. Han was still smiling that over confident grin. He figured Luke would slap it off him if he'd been able to see it but there was no way Han was going to apologize for having his fun. He remembered what had happened the last time he'd tried to apologize to Luke and didn't feel up to having the kid snap at him again. He still wasn't sure what had caused Luke's last outburst.  
  
  
Thinking about that made him thankful that the Storm Troopers were right above them. Luke couldn't do anything that might draw their attention to the floor. Not even the kid was that crazy.  
  
  
Han said a small prayer of thanks that the kid wasn't that crazy.  
  
  
"No one in the bridge," One of the voices above head said.  
  
  
"All right then. The ship is clear. It must have been a decoy," another one (sounding almost identical) replied. Han closed his eyes - not that it made any difference - as the sound of the boots grew dimmer.  
  
  
*They're gone,* Chewie growled, though he was still being much quieter than usual. Han couldn't blame him. They were used to being in life-or-death situations but sitting docked on a giant battle station while hiding from the empire wasn't exactly their normal routine.  
  
  
"Okay," Han said, stepping sideways away from Luke. "Let's get out of here."  
  
  
The Corillian felt above his head until his hands found the smooth metal of the floorboard. "Got it, Chewie?" he called, receiving a positive yowl, "On my count."  
  
  
Han closed his eyes the second the floor was removed, light quickly flooding into the blackness of the hold. With another heave the metal plate was completely removed. Across from them the old man and droids emerged as well.  
  
  
"Boy, it's lucky you had these compartments," Luke said, not quite meeting Han's face. The boy's cheeks were a slightly brighter shade of red than Han ever remembered seeing them.  
  
  
"I use them for smuggling," Han explained. "I never thought I'd be smuggling myself in them. This is ridiculous. Even if I could take off, I'd never get past the tractor beam." Solo bit down on his lower lip, recalling how even from far out he hadn't been able to fight the pull of the station. No way was he going to get out of here without a fight. Hiding had only bought them a little time. He should have blasted those Storm Troopers when he had his chance. No, he'd listen to the old fool who thought he could get them out of this mess without a fight, it seemed.  
  
  
"Leave that to me," Ben said on cue.  
  
  
"Damn fool. I knew that you were going to say that!" Han spat. He wasn't feeling very congenial at the moment and it was probably a good thing that the man was old and there was a floor panel between them or Han might have started throwing a fist. Sneaking around an imperial battle station was not his idea of a good plan, and leaving their only chance of escape to some old guy Han didn't trust and fully believed to be mad, was even more unsettling. Still, it didn't seem like he had much of a choice. Solo would be the first to claim he was best at what he did, but what he did didn't include impossible getaways from the port of imperial arms stations.  
  
  
"Who's the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?" Ben asked, lifting himself out of the hold. Han shook his head as he watched the old man help the annoying golden droid out from the smuggler's hold.  
  
  
*I say you're all fools,* Chewbacca cried, getting himself out of the compartment and going over to lift the smaller robot out as well.  
  
  
"Well, good looks, great pilot skills, can't have everything buddy," Han retorted.  
  
  
Ben shot him a look but otherwise ignored him. "Let's hurry. It won't be soon before Darth Vader realizes we're here."  
  
  
Beside him, Luke's eyes lit up. "Darth Vader's HERE?" He asked, sounding way more excited then he should in Han's opinion. The space pirate had heard enough about the Emperor's accomplice to know that no one should be excited to meet up with him, especially not when that someone was on the run from the empire.  
  
  
  
"All talk and propaganda," Han said, as Luke in his hurry to climb out of the hold managed to fall back in. Han didn't bother stopping a cheeky grin as the boy glared up at him. "Another follower of that crazy voodoo of yours."  
  
  
"Perhaps," Ben said, sounding noncommittal on the subject. Han wondered if the guy ever got worked up over anything. "Anyway, we must hurry," Ben added, pulling his hood up and giving a small wave to Chewbacca. "Come over here and help me, my friend," Ben said, going over to the hatchway. Han had a bad feeling about what he was going to be wearing in the next few seconds.  
  
  
"A hand?"  
  


Han blinked, looking down. Luke was staring up at him, arms crossed over his chest and head tilted to the side so that Han could see his pout. His blue eyes were flickering up at Han, not bothering to hide his annoyance.  
  
  
"What?" Solo asked, mildly confused. Was the kid actually talking about what he did down there? Han had to give him some credit. He figured the kid would be too embarrassed to ever bring it up.  
  
  
"A hand," Luke repeated, holding up one of his own. "Up."  
  
  
Oh. A hand.  
  
_____________________________  
  
  
"And you're going to be a help to the rebellion," Han scoffed, reaching down to take hold of Luke's hand. Luke growled, propelling himself off the floor as Han pulled him out of the compartment. It was a good thing Luke was too annoyed with Han to be embarrassed at the moment, because being too short to get himself out of a hold definitely qualified as humiliating. Right then, however, he was more concerned with glaring or ignoring Han than anything else.  
  
  
He was trying, honestly trying, not to think of what had happened just moment earlier. Unfortunately, it was rather hard not to. Especially with Han helping him, his hand linked with Luke's, warmth spreading down Luke's arm and through his body.  
  
  
It had to have been an accident, Luke repeated to himself for the millionth time in that minute. It was dark, no one could see. There were all these good, innocent reasons why Han had run his hand down Luke's chest, past his stomach and onto his thigh, pressing into him. Yes, tens of thousands of good reasons.  
  
  
Then again, nothing about Han struck Luke as bring particularly innocent. Certainly not his smile, with his lips curling, showing his teeth as though he were about to bite, and definitely not the way he was pulling Luke to his feet right then. Luke was fine now, perfectly able to stand on his own, and he didn't need Han's hand on his hip to steady him as they both stood up. He didn't need Solo wrapping his arm around Luke's waist, resting his hand on the small of his back and letting it slip a few inches either.  
  
  
Luke swallowed a yelp, barely stopping himself from jumping back and straight into the hold. Han smiled one of those smiles that made him look more than a little dangerous.  
  
  
"I think they have a height requirement to fight against the rebellion," Han added with that all-too-cocky, half grin on his face.  
  
  
Luke's mind tried to catch up with everything that was happening. It was almost as if Solo wanted to get himself snapped at again. Luke wasn't going to fail him, either. "Well at least-"  
  
  
"Over here," Ben called, cutting Luke off before he could go into another one of his tirades. "And stay quiet," he added, huddling around the entryway.  
  
  
Han rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, removing his blaster and joining Chewbacca. "I never had this much trouble smuggling spice."  
  
  
Luke stood where Han had left him, the cold air from the ship surrounding him now instead of Han's nice, soft heat. He was going mad. There was no other explanation for wanting a man like Han Solo. Totally, utterly mad.  
  
  
Luke jumped at the sound of gunfire. He looked over to the entry, where Han and Chewie were standing over two Storm Troopers.  
  
  
"Luke," Ben called again, holding up the mask of one of the troopers. Luke looked at him curiously, wandering over to where Han was already stripping another one bare. Ben handed him the mask. "Put this on," he explained, helping Luke with the rest of the uniform. It was uncomfortable but then again, what did one expect from a suit made to protect not to bend? Luke wasn't used to such heavy clothes. All his outfits were made for the deserts of Tatooine in loose and breathable materials.  
  
  
"It's too big," Luke exclaimed, pulling the sleeve up so that he could get his fingers into place. Ben had to help him with the other arm. Close by, he heard Han give an amused snort as he put on his own uniform. Luke's glare was slightly hindered by the fact that Ben had slipped his helmet on.  
  
  
The second the helmet fell into place, a voice rang over the intercom. "TX-four-one-two. Why aren't you at your post?"  
  
  
Han signaled to follow him out of the ship. Luke gave a curt nod, falling behind the smuggler. He felt a shiver of excitement pass down his spine as he stood in the entryway, getting his first real look into the giant battle station that had captured the Millennium Falcon. His first time off Tatooine and he was about to set foot into an imperial station, dressed as a storm trooper, to try to vandalize a tractor beam, in the hope of escaping and joining a rebel fleet. Uncle Owen would not approve. Aunt Beru would be in tears, worried sick, as her boy started down the walkway.  
  
  
Numbly, Luke watched Han signal something to the tower. For a pirate, he sure was being helpful. Part of Luke knew it was just because he wanted to get out of this situation alive preferably with his ship so he could get his money and be off, but that part was being oddly silent right now. Maybe that part of Han was being quiet right now too, and maybe he was doing it to help, because part of the captain wanted to make sure they got there safe and not just so they could hand over his payment.  
  
  
Luke shook his head, waiting for the face of the commanding officer to disappear from the window. He wasn't having romanticized thoughts about some scoundrel who didn't look a bit out of place among the trash of grimy spaceports. He could care less if Han was acting out of greed. So what if maybe - just maybe - Han had managed to make him feel something down in that hold. None of that mattered and Luke shouldn't have been thinking about it.  
  
  
Luke pouted, glad no one could see him through the heavy helmet. He shouldn't have been thinking about how much he enjoyed Han being close to him. Definitely shouldn't have been thinking about how good Solo had looked when he'd smiled down at Luke, arm resting around his waist and eyes practically glowing even as he insulted Luke. He really shouldn't have been considering that Han might have alternative motives for helping them out, nor should he have been hoping that one of them some how involved him.  
  
Luke sighed, following the rest of the group as they headed up the corridors. It was official. Uncle Owen had been right about space doing strange things to people. Only one day away from Tatooine and already Luke had gone utterly mad.


	3. Spaced Out

  1. For a while afterwards, Luke wasn't entirely sure what was happening except that he felt lost.



The Millennium Falcon gave a small shudder as it took off from the landing bay. Luke hardly noticed and certainly didn't think to celebrate the fact that Kenobi had been able to disable the force fields. Luke collapsed into the nearest seat, mind dizzy. If he'd just been more patient, if he'd persisted that Ben take him with him to find the fields, if he had bothered to think before calling his name across the loading bay then he wouldn't be alone right now.

There was nothing you could do to save them.

Or him, Luke added. Ben had told him there had been nothing he could do to save his aunt and uncle, and he had been right. Even if Luke had been home when the Storm Troopers had attacked they would have killed him without second thought. He would have been unarmed and unprepared. Just like he couldn't have dared to take on that group of Storm Troopers and, even with luck on his side, he would have been no match against a powerful man like Darth Vader. Rationally, he knew this, but all the logic in the world wouldn't make him feel any less guilty or make the loss hurt any less.

Luke didn't move when a blanket fell onto his shoulders, gentle hands holding him protectively. He looked up to see Leia offering him a somber smile as she sat down beside him. Beautiful, spirited Leia that he felt connected with the moment he saw her. Part of Luke felt sure that Ben would have wanted him to find her, to save her from what the empire had planned. He couldn't explain it, just like he couldn't explain his draw to the young dark haired girl.

"I can't believe he's gone," Luke said, somewhat surprised that his voice doesn't shake or break when he does. He had expected that Ben was immortal, that he had been around since the beginning of time and would be around long after Luke. It was a silly, naïve thing to believe and Han would probably laugh at him if he mentioned it around the older man, but even now Luke couldn't feel embarrassed about the idea.

R2D2 beeped softly, bringing Luke out of his thoughts. "There wasn't anything you could have done," Leia said, her hands still resting on his shoulders. It was a comforting touch, a bit like a mother's might be, Luke imagined, trying to consol a lost child. He still felt alone, even with the Princess's warm touch and Han's curse words flying through the ship as they made their escape from the battle station. Plus there was something else, some familiar presences playing in the back of Luke's mind that made him feel safe and calm. Alone, maybe, but not abandoned.

Leia was just leaning in a breath closer when Han burst into the room, wild eyed and panting. Without thinking about it Luke jerked away from Leia, straightening himself up in the seat and letting the blanket she brought him fall off his shoulders.

"Come on, buddy, we're not out of this yet!" Solo said, motioning for Luke to follow him. Luke was out of his seat without a second's hesitation, following the captain to the gun ports as another tremor passes through the ship, this one feeling rougher like the ones from back on Tatooine. Despite the loss of Ben Kenobi and their dire situation, Luke can't hold back the shiver of excitement that settles in the pit of his stomach when Han leads him to the battle station.

He really hopes he can make Ben proud.

 

* * *

 

"Did you see that?" Luke wasn't entirely sure why he was laughing, only that he couldn't stop. The second the last TIE was blasted away Luke was out of his chair, swinging his arms in the air in a rather silly victory cheer. At the other gun port he could hear Han's laughter, a cross between excitement and relief.

"Did you see that!" Luke repeated, motioned wildly with his hands as he tried to relive the feeling of rightness he got from sitting in the gunner seat. He was so caught up in his own dramatization of the fight that he didn't even blush when Solo started laughing at him.

"You sure that was your first space fight, junior?" Luke looked up to make sure Solo wasn't making fun of him, but the captain was still smiling as he gave Luke a clap on the back and ruffled the boy's already messy hair. Luke glowed at the honest praise, jumping to give Han a short, clumsy hug as he bound down the corridor. The adrenaline from the fight was still pumping through Luke, making him feel a little lightheaded and a lot like being drunk with victory. Everything he'd managed to do so far, things he would have thought impossible when he was stuck back on a simple moisture farm on Tatooine, were building up and bubbling to the surface. He was somewhat surprised he could stand while all he felt like doing was bouncing up and down, and even more surprised his face didn't split in two with the grin he was sporting.

While Luke was contemplating how utterly happy he was he didn't notice that Solo's hands hadn't fallen from his waist after their quick embrace. He might not have noticed it at all if the cold metal of the Falcon pressing against his back hadn't come as such a shock.

Luke stopped, his knees buckling against the wall he had been backed into. His eyes darted to Han's face, looking to find the same relieved expression of earlier. Instead he found a pair of dark eyes, sweat and hair covering his forehead and the corners of his lips twitching up into a lazy smile.

Luke drew in a sharp breath. "Han?" Luke thought maybe the shaking in his breath could have been left over from the excitement of the battle and nothing to do with the fact that he was suddenly hyperaware of every inch of his skin Han was touching. Luke was finding it harder to breath with only so much air between the two. He tried backing up more only to find himself already flushed against the wall with nowhere to go.

The pleased feeling in the pit of his stomach had to do with the fact that he'd just shot down two TIEs in his first time behind a real laser canon.  
  
Han leaned in closer so that Luke could see every line across his hard face. Luke was surprised Han's eyes could get so dark, almost black and a lot like space with a dangerous gleam lighting them up like stars. He wanted to swallow past the lump that had formed in his throat, but got the feeling that the slightest movement would mean him and Han would be touching and Luke didn't know what he'd do then. The predatory look in Han's eyes should have meant that he didn't want to find out.  
  
"Say that calls for a celebration of sorts," Han whispered, and he really was only a breath away since Luke felt the words skin just as much as he heard them.  
  
Luke wasn't nodding so much as he was still bouncing around because of their spectacular win. He would have pushed Han away if he actually tried anything; only the captain had height and experience on him. That was all.  
  
Han's smile turned into what was most definitely a smirk. What little air Luke was managing to take in caught in his throat as the captain leaned close enough that Luke could feel his skin heat up before Han was even touching him. The shiver that passed through him had everything to do with the adrenaline from his day and nothing to do with the way Solo's lips were brushing against his ear.  
  
Luke's hand came to rest on Han's shoulders, his fingers digging into the pirate's vest as Solo placed a line of kisses along his jaw. It wasn't that he was trying to pull him closer, but the Luke had the feeling that if he wasn't grabbing onto something he might collapse. It figured that Han Solo's lips would be rough and demanding, but also that he wouldn't simply kiss Luke because that would be too easy. He had to drag it on, nipping at Luke's earlobe or placing short licks along his neck until thoughts of laser canons and TIE fighters had become jumbled and all but vanished from Luke's mind.  
  
Before he could bite down on his lip, a small moan was escaping. "You okay, kid?" Luke could feel Han smirk against his skin. Luke screwed up his face in concentration and opened his mouth to make some sort of retort to show Solo he wasn't completely gone, and if he had wanted to he could have been in control of this situation.  
  
The comeback faded into a whimper as a strong thigh slipped between Luke's legs. Han pushed against Luke and the boy promptly forgot all about being embarrassed over his currant state and far more considered with ways to get Han to touch him more and what he was doing with his teeth and his lips that felt so go against Luke's shoulder.  
  
"Han." The name fell from Luke's lips sounding somewhat like a whine and a plea. Solo was moving against him, sending waves of fire over Luke's skin so hot that the young man was sure he was going to combust. Now Han's arms had managed to snake around his waist, forcing Luke off the wall and pressing him against the taller man. Solo had finally made his way to Luke's mouth, sucking on the his lower lip, taking gentle nips at the soft skin and rocking his hips against the other until Luke was sure he was nothing but a ball of bottled up heat.  
  
Luke's eyes flickered close with another long, low moan and he long ago gave up trying to explain any of this away. At that moment all he cared about was that Solo didn't stop and all the worries and logical thoughts could some later.  
  
By the time Luke reopened his eyes he was already cold.  
  
Before the haze had completely cleared from his vision a rough hand was ruffling his hair. "Good fight, kid," Han said, sounding only slightly breathless while Luke's own breathing was more than erratic, and it felt as though he had to take great gulps of air or else he'd pass out on the cold floor of the Falcon without a second's warning. "I better go check the cockpit. Make sure your Royal Highness hasn't destroy my ship with one of those brilliant plans of hers."  
  
Luke leaned against the wall, the sensation of something so cold against his recently on-fire skin sending a shiver down his spin, and listened to the echoing sound of Solo's boots as he walked away, leaving behind a very confused farm boy.  
  
He cheated. That was the first thought to cross Luke's mind. First with the apologizing, then the incident in the hold, then helping him save the princess (even if there had been some bribery involved in that one) and now this. It was almost as though the captain knew what Luke had been thinking about, or rather trying his best not to think about, and now he was using all that to his advantage. Luke snorted, shaking his head to try and clear away the feeling of Han pressed against him. He forced himself off the wall, walking with purpose out of the corridors and who knows where. Anywhere but there, and maybe Luke could actually try and sort a few things out without Han around to confuse him.  
  
That was all Solo was doing, because Luke knew what he wanted as long as Han wasn't there to mess with his head. He wanted to make sure that Ben would have been proud of him and that he could get the droids and the princess into the Alliance's hands like he had promised. He wanted to be around Princess Leia more, because every time he saw her something around them just clicked into place. When Leia had been holding him Luke had felt comfortable and safe. Anything else would wear off eventually. It was all part of the novelty of being in space for the first time, and Luke would grow out of that.  
  
Besides, they would reach the Alliance base soon enough, and then Han would collect the money Ben promised him and fly back to wherever smugglers like him spent their free time. Some how that thought was not as comforting as it once had been.  
  
"Master Luke," Luke nearly bumped his head as he left the gun port corridor, swinging around to look for the mechanical voice that could only belong to C-3PO. "Master Luke, over here. Oh dear."

"C-3PO!" Luke hopped down onto the floor, hurrying over to the protocol droid that was tangled in a web of wires sticking out from one of the walls of the Millennium Falcon. "What happened?" He asked, reaching forward to tug the golden droid away from the wires. On of the metal bands gave him a slight shock. Luke jerked back, shaking his hand out and sucking on the finger until the slight burn to his skin stopped stinging. Beside him R2 gave a concerned whistle. Luke waved his other hand to show he was fine.  
  
"Bless me," C-3PO mourned. "I'm going to short circuit in here. I just know it."  
  
"All right, calm down. Just calm down," Luke moved around the astrodriod, looking for a way to grab C-3PO through the wires. "Just stop moving, okay? Han will have a fit if we ruin his ship."

"Very well, sir." The protocol droid stilled while Luke tried to get through the wiring without tearing anything important. Who knew what was keeping the old thing working in space, and Luke didn't want to risk destroying the last of the working controls.  
  
After a few minutes - and some help from the R2 unit - Luke had managed to pull C-3PO free of the exposed wiring. "Oh, thank you so much sir!" C-3PO said as Luke looked him over, making sure the droid was unharmed.  
  
"Hey, has Leia come back here yet?" Luke asked once he was satisfied with C-3PO's condition.  
  
R2 gave a negative sounding whistle. "I'm afraid not, Master Luke," C-3PO translated. "I believe she's sill in the bridge with Master Solo and-"

"I better go check on her, then." Luke didn't care where Han was at the moment. Even if the cockpit was where he had said he was going, that didn't mean Luke was looking for him. He needed to talk with Leia, anyway, about the rebellion and what he could do to help once they got to the base. Serious matters that did not involve following around off balance smugglers with bad celebration methods. "Make sure her and Han haven't killed each other, yet."  
  
If it was possible, it almost looked as though the two droids exchanged a look. R2D2 gave a long, low whistle. "Is everything quite all right, sir?" C-3PO asked, cocking his head to the side in an all to human gesture.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. It's fine." Luke tried to sound convincing. Lies were always easier to tell when there was some truth behind them, and at the moment Luke couldn't summon to mind anything that could be described as fine. Nevertheless neither of the droids seemed to notice, or else they were content not to question their master. "Listen, you'll be okay, right?"  
  
"Of course, Master Luke," The droid replied. "R2D2 and I have been-"

"I'm going to the cockpit to make sure everything is all right, okay?" Luke turned on his heels, hurrying down the corridor before he could hear either droids replies.  
  
Being with Leia would clear Luke's head. They could talk about the rebellion and what Luke could do to help when they arrived at Yavin Four, and maybe Leia had felt the same sort of connection he felt for her. He was going to the cockpit to see Leia and it had nothing to do with the fact that Han would be there, too.  
  
Fate was against Luke. As he walked into the cockpit he was nearly pushed against the wall by a very upset looking princess. "Your friend is quite a mercenary." From the way Leia was fuming Luke doubt she meant that as any kind of complement. He looked passed her shoulder at Han, who was bent over a control panel trying to act like they weren't there. Luke was in slight amazement that a pair of people managed to get along so poorly after less than an hour together, yet Leia and Han seemed to be excelling at it. Of course, him and Han hadn't started out on the best of grounds either.  
  
He wasn't entirely sure if things had gotten better or worse yet.  
  
"I wonder if he really cares about anything," Leia looked over her shoulder and caught Han's eyes. "or anyone."  
  
And with that Leia stormed out of the room. "I care!" Luke called back to her, but either she didn't hear him or didn't want to be bothered. Luke sighed, looking around the small cockpit like it was some sort of prison. He should have gone after Leia. That had been his plan, after all. Instead he found himself wondering over to stand next to Han, ignoring the inner voice that was screaming at the stupidity of that move.  
  
"So..." Luke stumbled, trying to come up with something to say that wasn't What the hell were you doing back there? "What do you think of her, Han?"  
  
"I'm trying not to, kid!" Han replied with a slight scoff.  
  
Luke's shoulders sagged in relief and instantly tightened again. Should he be pleased because Han wasn't thinking about Leia? He didn't care what Han thought about anyone. That didn't change the fact that he was happy to hear Han wouldn't be trying to charm Leia.  
  
Well, of course he was happy to hear that. Han could have anyone he wanted, and if he wanted Leia than what chance did Luke stand? "Good..." Luke muttered, distracting himself with a nearby control panel. He didn't think he could stand looking at Han right then. He didn't think he could stand looking at Han ever again.  
  
"Still," Han said, and there was something in his voice that Luke didn't entirely trust. He looked up from the buttons he was dusting off to see Han was smirking again. Luke really hated that smirk. "She's got a lot of spirit. I don't know, what do you think? Do you think a princess and a guy like me..."  
  
"No!" It was out of his mouth before he had time to think about it. Luke bite back on his lower lip. He really had to work on thinking things through before saying them. He looks back to the observation window and the control, basically anywhere but Han. He can feel his cheeks burning.  
  
After a few minutes the silence managed to get to him. Luke gave a small cough, backing away from the control panel. "I better get some sleep before Yavin," He muttered, still refusing to meet Solo's eyes. Before he was even done with his sentence Luke had one foot out the door and it heading towards his cabin.  
  


* * *

  
  
Luke collapses onto of the first bunker he came across; a small, torn looking cot that gave a protest under his weight. As a kid he'd always dreamed of going into space, of making something of himself. Now that he had the chance everything seemed so confusing and hard. Maybe he wasn't meant for this sort of life.

No, that wasn't it. Being in a ship felt right, and behind those laser canons Luke had been temporarily invincible. He'd managed to help plan an escape from an imperial cellblock, had escaped a battle station, and gotten the droids back to Princess Leia in less than a Tatooine day. It wasn't him in space that was the problem, after all if Ben had thought him good enough to take with him than this was where Luke belonged.  
  
Ben... Luke felt a twinge of guilt. He hadn't thought of the old man since the excitement with the TIEs. The emotion was quickly quelled with in him, like some else's serenity and calm was washing over him. Luke felt his stomach tie up in knots. He'd felt something like this before, something almost exactly like this. Luke let his eyes fall close, concentrating on the waves of peace the force was sending through him. Everything would be all right. The confusion and guilt and sadness would pass if he would allow it to, and how Luke knew this he wasn't sure. But he knew that Ben know it, too.  
  
"Luke." Luke's eyes fluttered open. His muscles felt cramped and his vision was hazy. The lights in the cabin were far too bright. "Luke."  
  
Rubbing at his eyes, Luke searched the room for the gentle calling voice. "Leia?" He asked, finally noticing the slender figure of white sitting at the edge of his bed. He blinked a few more times as the princess came into focus. Startled, Luke tried to sit up in the uncomfortable small cot and ended up hitting his head on the top bunk.  
  
Luke winced, jerking away and glaring up at the metal bed. "What are you doing here?" He asked, rubbing the sore spot on his head.  
  
From the face Leia was making she was either vaguely worried or highly amused with Luke's lack of gracefulness. "I came to wake you up," She said, her lips twitching into a smile. Luke felt his cheeks start to burn and he looked away rather quickly.  
  
"How long have I been asleep?" Luke asked, looking around the tiny cabin for a chrono of some sort. He couldn't remember falling asleep at all.  
  
"Around six hours," Leia informed him, reaching out to touch the lump forming on Luke's temple. Luke winced when he fingers brushed against the bruise and tried to hide the ache it had caused. It was too late. Leia was already giving him a sympathetic smile and pulling back. Great, now she thought he was clumsy and weak.  
  
"Six hours!" Luke repeated, almost hitting his head on the top bunk again. He hadn't even felt that tired.  
  
Leia nodded. "We'll be reaching Yavin in a short while and I though you might like to get cleaned up." She looked Luke up and down in a way that reminded him that earlier that day he had fallen into one of the most foul smelling garbage pits they could fin"All though Gods knows if the showers on this thing work or not." The princess shot a disdained look at the 'fresher.  
  
Luke felt awkward as he climbed off the bed, stretching out as he did so. Leia remained on the edge of the bed simply watching him. Luke finally broke down and asked, "What?" He hadn't meant to sound as whiney as it turned out, but Leia didn't seem to notice. She cocked her head to the side, still staring at Luke like she was trying to figure something out.  
  
"Why are you traveling around with someone like Solo?" She asked. "I mean, you're," She waved vaguely at look for a second before her hands dropped back into her lap. Luke didn't quite understand what she was trying to say, and with a sigh Leia tried again. This time she just sent Luke a look that made him want to stand up straight and salute. "Are you trying to help the rebellion?"  
  
"Of course," Luke answered, as if there was no other way he could have. Helping the rebellion was something he had to do, no question about it.  
  
"What I mean is, how can someone like you stand to be around... around him!" Leia pointed at the empty doorway. "He's so frustrating, always going on about himself and his ship and MONEY."  
  
Luke grimaced. It sounded like Han and Leia had had some more time together while he was asleep, and if Leia's fuming was anything to go by Solo hadn't been on his best behavior.  
  
"He's not that bad," Luke nearly whispered. Leia was just getting on a role, and he hated to stop her. After all, what she was saying about Han was exactly true. He was frustrating and self-centered and he probably didn't care half as much for Luke as he did getting his reward. Not that Luke expected Han to care for him at all, because he couldn't care less who or what Han cared for.  
  
Luke could understand what Leia meant when she said Han was frustrating.  
  
Still, Han was a good fighter and an excellent pilot. He had to be to keep something as old as the Millennium Falcon in flight. He had also been far more helpful to them then Luke would have imagined, and Luke felt that he should at least try and defend Han against Leia's insults.  
  
"It's people like him, the ones that are indifferent to our efforts, that make our cause such a hard one to fight for." Luke had sat back down, watching as Leia almost paced in the tiny space of the cabin. He thought back to when Han had referred to her as having spirit. He hadn't been wrong. Leia's eyes were glowing as she spoke, and if Luke hadn't already been dedicated to helping the rebellion he would have been jumping at the chance now.  
  
"-Dangerous." Leia was saying, and Luke looked away before he was caught staring. He could feel Leia looking at him, waiting for him to say something.  
  
"I have to wash up," Luke said, standing up very carefully and rubbing the still sore spot on his head. Leia's eyes were still fixed on him, making Luke fidget uncomfortable as he tried to move past her to the 'fresher. Right before he expected from the small cabin Leia spoke up.  
  
"You like him, don't you?" It was almost an accusation.  
  
Luke turned a color he hadn't been since that time he was five and got lost outside all day underneath the two Tatooine suns. "No," He said as soon as he was able to stop gapping at Leia in shock. "No. Not at all. I don't like him-"  
  
"It's all right, Luke," She said, her voice kind and understanding. She didn't seem to notice how viciously denying Luke was being. "I mean, he certainly isn't the type of low... person I would expect to have friends but..." Luke took in a deep breath, swallowing past the panic that had risen to his throat. Leia shook her head as she trailed off.  
  
"Maybe he's not..." She paused again to consider her words, and then gave up. She moved to the door, still somewhat distracted by whatever she was thinking about. "We'll be at Yavin in a few hours," She repeated, looking over her shoulder at the still flushed Luke. "Meet me in the dinning room. We'll see if anything in this junk pile is editable or not."

  
Luke nodded, waiting until the door hissed shut behind Leia to fall back onto the cot. His head was starting to hurt, and it had nothing to do with the lump.

 


End file.
